The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-07-23


graph in Possession OF DIR. johnson.
small feet under Commodore Franklin
Buchanan In the Confederate fleet was a
powerful vessel, the ram Tennessee.
The 9Th OF August General Granger
landed Il body Of troops on Dauphin Island
and invested Fort Gaines.
Early on the morning ~ Augusta Ad-
miral Farragut attacked Fort Morgan and
the Confederate fotilla.
Soon after the engagement began, the
Tecumseh, fine iron clad, struck u torpedo
and almost instantly sunk, carrying to the
bottom Of the bay all but twenty one out Of
y Grew of ono hundred men.
The other vessels of the Federal feet
kept right on, however, and ran past Fort
Morgan and the torpedocs. A little later
the ram Tennessee bore down upon the
feet and was soon overpowereA and capt.
ured
August Fort Gaines, with over eight
hundred men, surrendered to General
Granger.
Later Fort Morgan was invested, and,
August %. fell into the hands Of the Fed
eral3 Thus Mobile, at the head OF Mobile
bay, was effectually shut of from block.
AIDE runners, having its outlet Theoretically
sealed by u fleet of Federal vessels.
AT Fort Morgan tho re&mcnt landed
early in March, as narrated IL the last
sunber. The men debarkcd from tho
steamer and went into caf.p in the sand.
The region was sterile and as unntcrest
ing IA could bo imagined.
Fort Morgan, however, had gained much
uotoriety from lis engagement with Com
m0dOre Farragu's feet, the previous Au-
gust IL showed marks Of the lombard
ment IN dismautlcd walls and broken brick
work.
Near the camp was n sand-hill twenty or
thirty feet high from which the vessels at
distance and Daupmn Island were
viewed. A school OF porpoiscs could often
be seen at play in the waters Of the bay ;
this TO the men, nearly all of whom were
from the interior, was a novel sight
One day orders came TO march. Mean.
While the Thirteenth Corps had been re-.
organized and was now under command Of
General Gordon Granger. Tins was spc-
clally pleasing 10 the o.d members of that
organization.
The l5th day OF March the Journey from
Mobile Point along the eastern side of Mo-
hle bay, was begun. Tho loose sand made
The walking very hard. The Nrter had
not marched with gun, aCCoutcrmcnts,
fnapsaCk, etc, for some timn, hence this
sgamplng through heavy saul was any
ching but pleasant. 50 weary did he he
come after sOIuc holrs that had II not been
Dos tie name OF the thing he would have
given out. But one PRIDE ~ sharp spun
nd often urges man on TO do hls utmost.
The country passed over was all sandy
and very level All the TIMBER was pune.
Eires were made from pine knots found III
abundance under the trees. The men =
faces became covered with smut, smoke
and CRIME; the resin made 1t adhesive, aud
washing this of seemed out vi the Ques-
lion.
In the midst OF the forest turpentinc
orchards" were reached. Here cup.
shaped notChes had been cut into the
trunks of the larger trees and these had
hlled with resin. One night some one Set
Dire in the Orchard" and the infiammable
nature OF the resin caused The names "
mount strong and high.
At one period in the march rain fell IL
torrents, and the roads became almost la,
passable for wagons and artillery
sometimes when the teams became
stalled they were detached, long rope. trd
10 the wagons and pieces OF artillery. and
Upon these dozens OF men exertel then
strength and generally succeeded whe rp
the mules hal failed In many cases cor
duroy roads-poles Lad ,rosswisc- 10
be made.
But the troops were bound TO overcome
ali obstacles and hence never grumbscd
One day WIDE, shallow stream was en-.
SOuntcred, waen the men were halted. or.
dercd TO remove shoes and stockings, roll
their pants high and wade. When the
opposite bank was reached, every man
dried his feet and legs IN the best way pos.
sibie. put on has shoes and stockings auu
sesumed T. . march.